We spoke with a grandmother who has taken in her grandson because the boy’s father and mother have both abandoned him. He shows evidence of that hurt and desperately needs to feel loved and accepted. He is generally first to school and last to leave, he would prefer to be at an empty school rather than at his home. We recently learned that this year if he hadn’t been moved to our school he would be living and going to school (as a monk) at a temple.
Our last meeting was with the caregiver of our little boy whose parents are in jail. It was heartbreaking. We talked about how he feels that he has no one to love him or take care of him. All things considered he’s been well cared for and loved but in his eight year old mind he’s been without. His mom hasn’t come to any Mother’s day celebrations at school, his dad never taught him how to ride a bike, and when he was taken to the hospital several weeks ago after breaking his foot at school the nurse asked him, “What is your mother’s name? What is your father’s name? Where do you live?” To which he responded, “I don’t know.”
After these meetings my Thai co-teacher and I reviewed what had been said and both ended up fighting tears because of the hurt these little kids carry. We’ve quickly come to love them and can’t stand the thought of them being hurt, alone, or unloved. It reminded us of our main mission here, loving these kids and these families. Sharing the hope of Jesus in this darkness. Reminded us of the truth that every life matters and that our efforts while small and imperfect may make a difference in these fourteen children’s lives...and we’d do it all if there was only one.
We are so thankful for the chance to love these kids and their families. I love this quote from a great book by a friend, Diana Fogel, “The personal touch is of such vital importance to God that he assumed the shape of his creation to be near us, to nurture personal relationships with us.” Please continue to pray that through these relationships our children and their parents would come to know the Lord."
